Overview

• Health Secretary David Kershenobich announced an upcoming prevention drive that expands the existing Vive feliz, Vive saludable program to the entire population with a focus on early-life habits.
• Mexico ranks among the highest consumers of soft drinks at roughly 165–166 liters per person per year, with 7 in 10 children drinking soda daily and 4 in 10 living with overweight or obesity.
• Authorities attribute about one in three new diabetes cases and one in seven new cardiovascular cases to sugary beverages, citing 2024 INEGI data of 192,563 cardiovascular deaths and 112,641 diabetes deaths.
• A 600 ml soda contains roughly 12–15 teaspoons of sugar, which the ministry warns accumulates as abdominal and liver fat, contributing to fatty liver that can progress to cirrhosis.
• The ministry cautioned that daily consumption of light or zero sodas may raise risks of heart attack or hemorrhagic stroke and can alter gut microbiota in ways linked to metabolic complications.